Chapter 6: Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders

85% of undergraduate students

have experienced a traumatic event sometime in their life

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

a condition characterized by flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance, and other symptoms lasting more than 1 month after exposure to extreme trauma

Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and PTSD connection

about half of those diagnosed with ASD later develop PTSD as symptoms last longer

PTSD diagnosis

requires 1 or 2 symptoms from each symptom cluster

PTSD lifetime prevalence

8–11% for women and 4–5% for men

PTSD treatment

treated with MDMA and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

therapy that helps clients identify and challenge dysfunctional thoughts about a traumatic event

Hypertension

a chronic condition with systolic blood pressure of 130+ mm Hg or diastolic pressure of 80+ mm Hg

High blood pressure prevalence

affects about 45% of Americans

Migraine headaches

moderate to severe head pain caused by abnormal brain activity affecting cranial blood vessels and nerves

Migraine gender difference

3–4 times more common in women than men

Tension headaches

head pain caused by prolonged contraction of scalp and neck muscles, resulting in steady pain

Cluster headaches

excruciating stabbing or burning sensations located in the eye or cheek

Women and stressors

women are more likely to experience stressors due to caregiving roles

Biofeedback training

a method where individuals receive information about autonomic functions and are rewarded for controlling them

Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)

flashbacks, hypervigilance, and avoidance lasting up to 1 month after trauma

Adjustment Disorder

reactions to life stressors that are disproportionate to the severity of the event

Asthma

a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways in the lungs

Atherosclerosis

thickening and hardening of artery walls due to fat and cholesterol buildup

Aura

a visual or physical sensation that precedes a migraine

Blood pressure

the force of blood against the walls of arteries

Coronary Vascular Disease (CVD)

narrowing of cardiac arteries restricting blood and oxygen flow to the heart

Cortisol

a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands

Diastolic pressure

the arterial force when the heart is relaxed and ventricles fill with blood

Dissociation

a coping mechanism involving a sense of disconnection from trauma

Elevated blood pressure

systolic 120–129 mm Hg and diastolic less than 80 mm Hg; precursor to hypertension, stroke, and heart disease

Epinephrine

a hormone released during stress, also known as adrenaline

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

PTSD therapy involving trauma visualization with rapid eye movements

Fear extinction

elimination of conditioned fear responses linked to trauma

Hypervigilance

a constant state of anxiety and alertness for threats

Normal blood pressure

systolic less than 120 mm Hg and diastolic less than 80 mm Hg

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

therapy involving sustained imaginary and real-life exposure to trauma-related cues

Prolonged Grief Disorder

clinically significant grief lasting over a year for adults or 6+ months for children/adolescents

Psychophysiological Disorder

any physical disorder with a strong psychological basis or component

Relaxation Training

a technique teaching control over muscle relaxation in stressful situations

Stress

the internal psychological or physiological response to a stressor

Stressors

events or circumstances that place physical or psychological demands on a person

Sympathetic Nervous System

part of the nervous system that increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and raises blood pressure automatically

Systolic pressure

the force on blood vessels when the heart contracts